Larb Laab Larp

[C. sapidus]

39 minutes ago, KennethT said:

Hmmm..... I've never seen galangal used in laap before either... at least not the Isaan version (the one with the lime juice).  The northern Thai laap is totally a horse of a different color and it's really uncommon outside of Northern Thailand. 

 

Interesting. I have never been within thousands of miles of Thailand so all I know is recipes. But I checked my cookbooks and found that galangal or ground dried galangal were listed in most larb laab larp recipes:

 

David Thompson - Thai Food:

Spicy minced chicken salad (larp gai) - no galangal

Chiang Mai-style larp of pork (larp Chiang Mai muu) - galangal in the spice paste

 

Andy Ricker - Pok Pok:

Northern Thai minced pork salad (laap meuang) - galangal and ground dried galangal

Isaan minced duck salad (laap pet Isaan) - galangal in the galangal paste (!!)

Isaan minced catfish salad (laap plaa duuk Isaan) - galangal

 

I have also seen laap recipes that call for "lesser galangal" with ginger listed as a substitute.

 

So I dunno.

[C. sapidus]

Couple more:

 

Kasma Loha-Unchit - Dancing Shrimp:

Spicy charcoal-roasted catfish salad (lahb bplah doog) - galangal

Northeastern-style crispy whole catfish seasoned with Thai herbs, chillies, and toasted rice (lahb bplah doog tawd gkrawb) - no galangal

 

Thailand the Beautiful Cookbook (various authors):

Ground beef salad (laab nuea) - galangal powder

 

I should note that the latter cookbook pages stick together at the recipe for laab nuea. 

 

 

[KennethT]

2 hours ago, C. sapidus said:

Interesting. I have never been within thousands of miles of Thailand so all I know is recipes. But I checked my cookbooks and found that galangal or ground dried galangal were listed in most larb laab larp recipes:

 

David Thompson - Thai Food:

Spicy minced chicken salad (larp gai) - no galangal

Chiang Mai-style larp of pork (larp Chiang Mai muu) - galangal in the spice paste

 

Andy Ricker - Pok Pok:

Northern Thai minced pork salad (laap meuang) - galangal and ground dried galangal

Isaan minced duck salad (laap pet Isaan) - galangal in the galangal paste (!!)

Isaan minced catfish salad (laap plaa duuk Isaan) - galangal

 

I have also seen laap recipes that call for "lesser galangal" with ginger listed as a substitute.

 

So I dunno.

Interesting.  Thanks for this.  Re: the David Thompson recipes, I'll say that the Chiang Mai style laap is totally different from Isaan laap so it's not surprising that the Chiang Mai style would have it while the other does not.

 

I also wouldn't be surprised if a recipe or two had "lesser galangal" aka fingerroot rather than galangal. They're totally different but fingerroot is much harder to find outside of SE Asia.

[Smithy]

4 hours ago, KennethT said:

Hmmm..... I've never seen galangal used in laap before either... at least not the Isaan version (the one with the lime juice).  The northern Thai laap is totally a horse of a different color and it's really uncommon outside of Northern Thailand. 

 

In general, I find this to be a pretty good representation of an Isaan laap: https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/laab-moo/

 

 

I followed your link, then I remembered that another favorite Northern Minnesota restaurant serves laab moo. During the pandemic shutdown they offered it in meal kits: all the ingredients, ready to cook if necessary and put together and eat. I brought it home and served it more than once, and my husband liked it. Their version looks quite close to what's in your link. I don't recall the Duluth Grill version and the New Scenic Cafe version being as different as this discussion suggests, but last night I was expecting flavors more nearly like the laab moo.

[heidih]

The larb I've had in Thai places or made at  home is a light dish. Sometimes served with lettuce leaves to wrap. The soy + liquid aminos and especially sesame oil seems like it would dull sprightly taste. Like way too much going on. 

[KennethT]

The liquid aminos is a typical ingredient in Thai stir fries - the classic combo is oyster sauce, light soy sauce, Golden Mountain sauce (aminos), fish sauce.  I could definitely see that combo in a Thai burger or meatballs, but not in a laap.

[Deephaven]

Am super short of herbs as we are moving out of our house and my herb garden is unplugged.  Also had to do this on a portable $50 induction cooker, but hey its Laab!

 

The worst was doing the rice without a steamer.  That's some sad sticky rice...

[KennethT]

2 hours ago, Deephaven said:

Am super short of herbs as we are moving out of our house and my herb garden is unplugged.  Also had to do this on a portable $50 induction cooker, but hey its Laab!

 

The worst was doing the rice without a steamer.  That's some sad sticky rice...

Out of curiosity, how did you make sticky rice without a steamer?  Was it a pot of water with a steamer insert?

[Deephaven]

4 hours ago, KennethT said:

Out of curiosity, how did you make sticky rice without a steamer?  Was it a pot of water with a steamer insert?

Terribly.  Found some reference to just using boiling and letting it sit.  It wasn't really sticky rice.  2 cups rice, 3.5 cups water, boil partially covered for 10min until the water is absorbed and then let it sit for 10min.  It was not good, but better than the alternative of no rice.

[blue_dolphin]

Chicken laab from Night + Market with microwave sticky rice, sugar snap peas standing in for the recipe's green beans, cabbage and cucumber.

I liked that this recipe specified the order of adding ingredients to the meat, tossing lightly after each addition.  Fish sauce and a pinch of sugar go in while the meat is still warm, then it's allowed to cool and the roasted chile powder, shallot, green onions, mint, cilantro and lime juice are added sequentially with the toasted rice powder added last so the sturdier ingredients get more tossing and the herbs are spared until near the end.